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May 9, 2013

03/16/13: Sunil Tripathi, 22, Providence, RI

Sunil Tripathi

Sunil Tripathi, 22, was last seen around 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 16 leaving his Providence, R.I. apartment near the Brown University campus. He did not have his wallet, identification or bicycle with him, and he did not return home. The quiet, private young man, who admitted to some depression, had been taking a leave of absence from Brown, and he did not have a close relationships with his roommates. Two days after his disappearance, false rumors abounded that the missing student had been involved in the April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon. Sunil's name has since been cleared, and his parents have been offered an apology. Sadly, on April 23, Sunil's body was discovered in the waters off India Point Park in Providence, R.I.

Twenty two year old Sunil Tripathi, 22, also called Sunny, was last seen in his room around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15 at his Providence, R.I. apartment near the Brown University campus. He then left around 11 a.m. the following day (Saturday, March 16) without his wallet, identification and bicycle at home, but he did not return. The Department of Public Safety and the Providence Police were advised on Sunday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) around 1 p.m. that he was missing.

Sunil Tripathi was a member of the Brown University class of 2013 but not attending classes when he disappeared. His housemate, Ryan Gladych, told the University News that Sunil had been taking a leave of absence from Brown. Although Sunil was rooming with Gladych and his housemates, he was
independently subletting a room in the apartment and did not have close
relationships with the other residents in the house, Gladych said. Tripathi’s housemates were first informed of his disappearance Sunday when
police arrived to investigate in the afternoon, Gladych said. He added that they were concerned for Tripathi’s safety.

Judy Tripathi, Sunil's mother, told the Times that her son typically contacted his family daily. "He’s very quiet, he’s very private, he’s very intellectual," she said. "He admitted to some depression, but he said that he could figure it out, he could handle it.”

The Search for Sunil Tripathi

According to The New York Times, Sunil's family began a round-the-clock search, temporarily moving from Pennsylvania to Rhode Island work with police and the FBI. They also created a Facebook page to aid in the search effort.

On Thursday, April 18, false speculation circulated on the Facebook page and on Reddit.com that Sunil might be one of the two Boston Marathon bombers seen in grainy surveillance photographs released by the FBI. According to the Times, "the rumor spread, leading news vans to stake out the Tripathis’s family home in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and reporters to make dozens of calls to the Tripathi family’s cellphones." Sunil Tripathi was absolved of any connection to the April 15 Boston bombings when two other men were identified as being the men in the photographs--and the bombers. Apologies have since been pouring in to the Tripathi family.

On April 22, the Tripathi family launched the “Lend Your Hand” campaign which encouraged people to write messages on
their hands and submit photos to the Facebook page created for the
search.

On April 23, Sunil's body was discovered in the waters off India Point Park in Providence, R.I. An identification was made based on dental records. Authorities did not immediately determine the cause of his death
but said his body had been in the water for some time.